Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
What assessment she has made of the potential merits of the UK-Australia free trade deal for food producers.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
This deal will support jobs and drive growth by cutting tariffs on key UK exports like food (up to around 20% on cheese) bringing huge benefits to the UK’s agri-food sector.
Wales’ food and drink sector exported £10m to Australia last year in goods and could benefit from the removal of tariffs and non-tariff barriers.
Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
What steps her Department has taken to promote the export of British manufactured small modular nuclear reactors.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
DIT recognises the export potential of UK manufactured small modular reactors and we are providing support to industry in several countries to facilitate market entry and position them for success ahead of first production. We are also in discussions with industry about developing a more strategic “Whole of Government” approach to support overseas sales.
Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the UK's trade relationship was with each African country in the last five years.
Answered by Graham Stuart - Minister of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
Over the last five years the UK has consolidated stronger trade and investment partnerships with African countries, supporting businesses to enter and expand across African markets, and deepening our bilateral engagement to open new trade and investment opportunities.
Over this time the UK has offered almost all African countries preferential access to its markets as beneficiaries of the European Union’s unilateral trade preferences scheme or as parties to trade agreements with the EU. There are 44 African countries that receive duty-free quota-free access to the UK under EU arrangements that also offer preferential access to a further eight African countries.
As we leave the EU, we have sought to replicate the effects of EU trade arrangements and have secured trade continuity with 46 African countries.
The UK’s trade flows with each African country are published by the Office for National Statistics.
Asked by: Alun Cairns (Conservative - Vale of Glamorgan)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
What assessment she has made of the potential economic opportunities for the UK of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Answered by Elizabeth Truss
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is an ambitious regional trade agreement covering 11 countries across four continents.
Joining would provide us with the opportunity to deepen our trading links with some of the world’s most diverse, growing economies, and will allow us to expand our influence in the world and strengthen the rules-based international system.
No doubt CPTPP countries will be a valuable market for Aston Martin’s new DBX SUVs, which will be exported from the factory in my Rt Hon Friend for Vale of Glamorgan's constituency.